Woodworking tool



g- 4, 1936-, A. M. BROWN 2,049,685

WOODWORKING TOOL Filed Oct. 24, 1955 Patented Aug. 4, I936 UNITE STATES PATENT it other WOODWORKING moon 7 I Arthur M. Brown, Ellwood City, Pa.

Application October 24, 1935 Serial No. 46,823

9 Claims.

This invention relates to woodworking tools and is directed more particularly to dowel cutters for cutting predetermined sized cylindrical rods from wood.

Wooden dowels are used by many crafts such as pattern making, cabinet making, carpentry and other crafts. Dowels of a predetermined diameter are readily obtainable on the market but being made of Wood, these ready-made dowels are subject to drying or seasoning with consequent shrinkage, from the time they are manufactured until sold at some later date. It often happens,

therefore, that a dowel purchased as a predetermined size will be under size, and the dowel joint made with such under sized dowel will necessari 1y be weak and unreliable if glued, or provide a poor fit where parts are detachably held together as in pattern work. 7

To overcome the abovediificulties, dowel cutters have been devised for use by the craftsman sothat dowels may be out just prior to use and thereby avoid the aforementioned difficulty of shrinkage due to storage. So far as I am aware, however, these dowel cutters have each required a separate set of cutting knives and head for each predetermined size of dowel, hence many parts.

and adjustments are necessary each time a diiferent size dowel is cut with the tool.

Dowel cutters, as made at present, fall in two general classes. One class consists of a relatively large metal head containing knives which is fitted to some" rotary machine such as a lathe head.

The wood-is fed to the rotating head to make the dowel. This typeof dowel'cutter is generally used in the commercial'manufacture'of dowels. The

other type of dowel cutter consists of a hand tool which is held stationarywhil'e th'e' wood is rotated by alathe head or some prime mover having suitable means for holdingand rotating the wood.

0 This type of dowel cutter is considerably less expensive to manufacture for obvious reasons 'and hence is'popular with the home craftsman. It is tothis latter class of devices that the present invention is directed.

The primary objectof the present inventionis to provide a dowel cutter having a cutting element which may be easily and quicklyad j usted to cut any predetermined size dowel. whether: of

standard diameter or over'or under size with respect' to such standard diameter;

Another object is toprovide a dowel cutter wherein asingle cutting element is used for make ing' dowels of various diameters within a relatively' wide range, thereby avoidingthe necessity of pro (Cl. I la-56) v'i'ding separate sets'of cutters for each diiferent diameter of dowel.

A further object is' to provide a dowel cutter of the aforesaid character which shall consist of few parts that are simple in construction and in-. 5 expensive to manufacture, and which shall be highly efiici'ent in cutting a dowel in one operation from rough stock to" finished dowel of any predetermined" size.

With" the foregoing and other objects in view. 10 the" present invention may be stated to consist in the various novel features of construction and arrangement or combination, all of which will be fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the appended claims".

'In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this application, there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention" is not confined to the exact 20 features shown, as various changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing; 7

Figure 1" is' a side elevation of adowel cutter constructed in accordance with my invention;

' Figure 2' is a front elevation thereof; 7

Figure 3' is a; horizontal section taken on the line"3 3 ofFi'g. 1';

Figure" 4 is a side elevation of the body portion of the tool with associated from;

Figure 5' is an end elevation thereof; and

liigure 6 is a rear'elevation of th'e cutting blade.

Afldo wel cutter constructed iii accordance with my invention comprises a body portion I, which 35 is preferably'hollow'to save material, and to provide lightness in" weight. This b'ody'p'ortion inay be in the form of a casting, and as shown in Figs.

3, 4, and'5, isformed' with a bottom wall 2', side walls 3 disposed substantially at ri ght angles to 4.0 the bottom Wall, and upper'mwardiy inclined walls 4 which merge with a fiat top wall or surface 5 One end ofthe Body'portion is closed by a relatively thick endwall 6, while the opposite end. is preferably left open for convenience in manu- 45 facture and assembly of the parts that form the tool. 5 r

The end wallis's'lotted sis-indicated at T, and the upper edge of this wall is sloped downwardly toward its outeredg'e as shown at 8 to anc'e for a cutting knife or blade 9 which is-adjustabl'y mounted in the slot-1 and held in position iii any'siii'table manner, as byset screws l0 As particularly shown in Fig. 3, each side wall 3 is" formedwith a pair of spaced guides H, l I

parts removed there- 30 provide clear- 50" which define guideways for the legs l2 of a head piece indicated generally at l3. This head piece as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is formed with an inverted V-shaped cross section so as to provide a two point contact 14 with the dowel rod being formed, and these surfaces in cooperation with the flat surface 5 on the body portion define a three point guide for the dowel and also serve to burnish the finished dowel as it emerges from the tool. The forward or entry portion of the head piece is flared as indicated at l5 to facilitate entry of the stock to the tool.

The head piece is adjustably mounted on the body portion, being guided by the guides H, H and is clamped in adjusted position by a bolt l6 and a wing nut l8, the bolt I6 extending through the body portion and suitable slots I! in each leg l2. As shown in Fig. 1, I preferably graduate one of the guides l l and provide a pointer or mark on the cooperating leg I2 so that any desired adjustment may be readily made and enable the operator to cut a dowel to a predetermined size.

The knife blade 9 used with my device is shown in Fig. 6 and comprises a flat body portion having a portion of its upper edge serrated as indicated at 19 and the remaining portion of such edge formed with a cutting edge 20 disposed substantially at right angles to the side edge of the blade. The serrated portion I9 is preferably disposed at an angle with respect to the edge 20 so that the entering stock will'be gradually reduced in diameter as indicated in Fig. 1.

A suitable handle 2| is attached to the bottom wall of the body portion by a bolt 22 that extends longitudinally through the handle and is fitted with a nut 23.

In use the wing nut I8 is loosened and the head 13 is adjusted in guides I I, I l, to the desired diameter of dowel to be out as indicated by the guage, whereupon the wing nut I8 is tightened. A suitable piece of stock that has been previously roughly sawed to the approximate size of the dowel to be made, is mounted for rotation in any suitable manner, as for example, in a lathe head, or directly or indirectly connected to the shaft of a suitable prime mover such as an electric motor. The free end of the rotating stock is then entered preferably in alignment with the angularly disposed hood or flared guide portion 15 of the tool, whereupon the handle is then moved in an arc to align the axis of the stock with the horizontal axis of the head, thereby causing the serrated teeth IQ of the knife first to engage the stock to point the same and then roughly reduce the prismatic cross section thereof to a circular cross section, and to the approximate size of the dowel. As the tool is advanced along the stock, the flat cutting edge 20 further reduces the stock and provides a smooth cylindrical surface to within very close limits of the finished diameter of the dowel, and as the dowel emerges from the opposite end of the tool, the three point contact therewith at M, I4 and 5 burnishes the cylindrical surface of the dowel to the exact diameter and 'provides a smooth polished surface thereon.

When necessary, the knife blade 9 may be readily removed by loosening set screws l0, H] for purpose of resharpening or renewal. From the foregoing description, it will be readily apparent that the dowel cutter may be easily and quickly adjusted to cut any standard size dowel or any size therebetween, such adjustment being facilitated by the gauge which may be readily observed by the operator.

While I have described my deviceas being particularly useful for cutting dowel rods, it is obvious that it may be used for many other purposes where a cylindrical rod is desired, as for example in the manufacture of arrows, and similar uses.

What I claim is:

1. A hand tool of the character set forth comprising a body portion, a head carried by said body portion and adjustable with respect thereto, said head having a flared hood forming an entry guide for the stock, means for holding said head in adjusted position with respect to said body portion, and a cutting blade carried by the body portion and adapted to engage the stock passing between said body. portion and said head, said blade having an angularly disposed serrated portion adapted to cooperate with said flared hood to eifect a preliminary reduction of the stock.

2. A hand tool of the character set forth comprising a body portion substantially rectangular in cross section and having guides formed on op- C posite sides thereof, a head having legs slidably received in said guides, said head being adjustable with respect to said body portion, means for holding said head and body portion in adjusted position, a cutting blade mounted on said body portion, said blade having an angularly disposed serrated portion adapted to effect a preliminary reduction of the stock, and a plurality of guides carried by said head and body portion and adapted to engage the stock passing between said head and body portion.

3. A hand tool of the character set forth comprising a body portion having a handle projecting therefrom, a head slidably mounted on said body portion and having a flared hood for receiving the stock, means for holding said head in adjusted position with respect to said body portion, said head and body portion having between them at least three points of contact for the stock passing therebetween, and a cutting blade associated with the body portion for reducing the stock to a predetermined size, said blade having an angularly disposed serrated portion adapted to cooperate with said flared hood to effect a preliminary reduction of the stock. 7

4. A hand tool of the character set forth comprising a body portion substantially rectangular in cross section and having a handle projecting therefrom, guides formed on opposite side walls of said body portion, a head having a flared hood and legs engaged with said guides, said head being adjustable with respect to said body portion, means for holding said head in adjusted position, said head and body portion having between them at least three points of contact for the stock passing therebetween, and a cutting blade carried by the body portion for reducing the stock to a predetermined size, said blade having an angularly disposed serrated portion adapted to cooperate with said flared hood to effect a preliminary reduction of the stock.

5. A hand tool of the character set forth comprising a body portion having a handle projecting therefrom, guides formed on opposite side walls of said body portion, a head having legs engaged with said guides, said head having an inverted V-shaped portion and a flared portion, said head being adjustable in said guides with respect to said body portion, means for holding said parts in adjusted position, the side walls of said inverted V-shaped portion and said body portion defining a three point guide for the stock passing through said tool, and a cutting blade carried by said body portion in advance of said three point guide, said flared portion overlying said cutting blade and said cutting blade having an angularly disposed portion adapted to cooperate with the flared portion of said head to eliect a preliminary reduction of the stock.

6. A hand tool of the character set forth comprising a body portion having a handle projecting therefrom, guides carried by said body portion and adapted to receive cooperating portions of a head adjustable with respect to said body portion, a cutting blade detachably connected to said body portion and adapted to engage the stock passing between said head and body portion, said blade having a two part cutting edge, one cutting edge angularly disposed to the other and serrated to gradually reduce the stock to substantially the predetermined size, said head and body portion having between them at least three points of contact for the stock passing therebetween, and a gauge associated with said tool for indicating the relative adjustment of said head with respect to said body portion.

7. A hand tool of the character set forth comprising a body portion having a handle projecting therefrom, guides carried by said body portion and adapted to receive cooperating portions of a head adjustable with respect to said body portion, a cutting blade detachably connected to said body portion and adapted to engage the stock passing between said head and body portion, said blade having a two part cutting edge, one angularly disposed to the other and serrated to gradually reduce the stock to size and the other to reduce the stock to substantially the predetermined size, said head having an inverted V-shaped portion and a flared portion, said inverted V-shaped portion cooperating with a surface on said body portion to define a three point guide for the stock passing therebetween, said flared portion cooperating with said serrated edge to effect a preliminary reduction of the stock, and a gauge associated with said tool for indicating the relative adjustment of said head with respect to said body portion.

8. A hand tool of the character set forth comprising a body portion in the form of a hollow casting and substantially rectangular in cross section, guides formed on opposite side walls of said body portion, the end wall of said body portion being slotted to receive a cutting blade, means for detachably connecting said blade to said body portion, said blade having a two part cutting edge, one angularly disposed to the other to gradually reduce the stock to size and the other to reduce the stock to substantially the predetermined size, a head having legs adapted to engage with said guides, a bolt passing through said body portion'and legs and having a nut for clamping the parts in adjusted position, said head having an inverted V-shaped portion cooperating with a surface of said body portion to define a three point guide for the stock passing through the tool, and a flared guiding portion carried by the head and overlying the cutting blade, said flared portion being adapted to cooperate with the angularly disposed portion of the cutting blade to efiect a preliminary reduction of the stock.

9. A hand tool of the character set forth comprising a member having a portion forming a wall of an aperture extending longitudinally therethrough for the passage of the stock, a flared hood carried by said member adjacent the entry to said aperture and havinga portion cooperating with said member to form another wall of said aperture, and a cutting blade carried by said member and lying substantially within the confines of said flared hood, said flared hood and associated portion being adjustable with respect to said member to vary the diameterof said aperture, said cutting blade being adapted to cooperate with said hood to effect a preliminary reduction of the stock when the longitudinal axis of the tool is disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said stock.

ARTHUR M. BROWN. 

